1 00:00:07,307 --> 00:00:09,843 Narrator: In this episode of "American Greed," 2 00:00:10,610 --> 00:00:13,847 the shadowy world of film financing, 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,349 where fortunes can be stolen. 4 00:00:16,383 --> 00:00:19,786 Wolf: We are just dying to make this movie, 5 00:00:19,819 --> 00:00:21,388 and we put so much into it, 6 00:00:21,421 --> 00:00:23,757 and now somebody's stolen it away from us. 7 00:00:23,790 --> 00:00:27,227 Narrator: And good names dragged through the mud. 8 00:00:27,260 --> 00:00:29,896 Browne: Their reputations, and in some cases, their careers 9 00:00:29,929 --> 00:00:31,898 were destroyed by this fraud. 10 00:00:31,931 --> 00:00:34,901 Narrator: Jason Van Eman and Ben McConley 11 00:00:34,934 --> 00:00:36,236 are up-and-coming players 12 00:00:36,269 --> 00:00:38,838 in Hollywood's independent-film scene, 13 00:00:38,872 --> 00:00:42,909 producing and financing movies through WeatherVane Productions. 14 00:00:42,942 --> 00:00:47,113 Van Eman is a former B-list actor who finds the deals... 15 00:00:47,147 --> 00:00:48,415 Browne: He was the salesman. 16 00:00:48,448 --> 00:00:50,650 He was charismatic. He was smooth. 17 00:00:50,684 --> 00:00:52,585 Narrator: ...and McConley uses social media 18 00:00:52,619 --> 00:00:55,121 to show off his life as a wealth manager, 19 00:00:55,155 --> 00:00:57,157 married to an Instagram model, 20 00:00:57,190 --> 00:01:00,660 and he uses his family's money to fund them. 21 00:01:00,694 --> 00:01:05,932 He was all over social media, flashy lifestyle, 22 00:01:05,965 --> 00:01:08,435 drove Ferraris and Bentleys. 23 00:01:08,468 --> 00:01:11,938 Ben McConley was all about his image. 24 00:01:11,971 --> 00:01:13,206 Narrator: In a few short years, 25 00:01:13,239 --> 00:01:14,908 the partners build a list of credits 26 00:01:14,941 --> 00:01:19,312 for financing films starring A-list celebrities, 27 00:01:19,346 --> 00:01:21,514 but the feds tell "American Greed" 28 00:01:21,548 --> 00:01:23,483 that these so-called financiers 29 00:01:23,516 --> 00:01:27,320 use other people's millions to fund some films 30 00:01:27,354 --> 00:01:29,089 and steal the rest. 31 00:01:29,089 --> 00:01:31,858 Papadopoulos: Every day you had a cancerous knot just wondering 32 00:01:31,891 --> 00:01:33,960 if this project is ever gonna be realized. 33 00:01:33,993 --> 00:01:36,963 Narrator: But what these bad actors haven't counted on 34 00:01:36,996 --> 00:01:41,267 is getting caught up in a timeless Hollywood storyline -- 35 00:01:41,301 --> 00:01:43,336 the revenge plot. 36 00:01:43,370 --> 00:01:44,971 Pierce: You messed with the wrong guys. 37 00:01:45,005 --> 00:01:48,174 I'm gonna make it my life mission to put you in jail. 38 00:01:48,208 --> 00:01:50,276 Martino: You know that the whole house of cards 39 00:01:50,310 --> 00:01:52,345 has now collapsed on itself, 40 00:01:52,379 --> 00:01:54,381 and that's when I got the bright idea 41 00:01:54,414 --> 00:01:56,850 how to go after these guys. 42 00:01:56,883 --> 00:02:04,057 ** 43 00:02:04,057 --> 00:02:11,164 ** 44 00:02:11,197 --> 00:02:18,338 ** 45 00:02:18,371 --> 00:02:21,975 Narrator: In the spring of 2015, production is moving along 46 00:02:22,075 --> 00:02:25,712 on the independent feature film "Inside Game," 47 00:02:25,745 --> 00:02:29,315 the story of an infamous NBA betting scandal 48 00:02:29,349 --> 00:02:30,917 and the passion project 49 00:02:30,950 --> 00:02:35,088 of venture capitalist turned filmmaker Paul Martino. 50 00:02:35,088 --> 00:02:36,556 We've scouted locations. 51 00:02:36,589 --> 00:02:38,091 We have our -- We have a director. 52 00:02:38,091 --> 00:02:39,693 You know, we're ready to go. 53 00:02:39,726 --> 00:02:43,930 Narrator: Martino has put up $1.25 million of his own 54 00:02:43,963 --> 00:02:47,567 and believes those funds have been matched by Jason Van Eman 55 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,404 and Ben McConley of WeatherVane Productions. 56 00:02:51,438 --> 00:02:53,573 We thought we had found a perfect partner 57 00:02:53,606 --> 00:02:57,243 to go fill in the other half of the financing to make the movie. 58 00:02:57,277 --> 00:02:59,913 Narrator: But before the cameras can roll, 59 00:02:59,946 --> 00:03:01,781 there is trouble. 60 00:03:01,815 --> 00:03:03,283 Martino: The line producer calls me up. 61 00:03:03,316 --> 00:03:04,884 He says, "Paul, why is there no money 62 00:03:04,918 --> 00:03:07,554 in the production account?" 63 00:03:07,587 --> 00:03:10,423 Narrator: It's not just a mystery. 64 00:03:10,457 --> 00:03:14,361 It's a crime that will take three years to solve, 65 00:03:14,394 --> 00:03:15,962 leaving the cast, the crew, 66 00:03:16,062 --> 00:03:20,333 and Martino's $1.25 million in the lurch. 67 00:03:20,367 --> 00:03:21,701 Wolf: They had found this sweet spot 68 00:03:21,735 --> 00:03:24,671 where they wanted to make the movie and then, 69 00:03:24,704 --> 00:03:29,075 as they were closing in on getting production started, 70 00:03:29,109 --> 00:03:31,911 that money was gone. 71 00:03:31,945 --> 00:03:37,083 ** 72 00:03:37,117 --> 00:03:42,088 ** 73 00:03:42,122 --> 00:03:45,492 Narrator: This is a Hollywood crime story that starts 74 00:03:45,525 --> 00:03:48,661 about as far from the movie biz as one can imagine -- 75 00:03:48,695 --> 00:03:52,499 in the midwestern town of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 76 00:03:52,532 --> 00:03:54,634 where a young man named Jason Van Eman 77 00:03:54,668 --> 00:03:57,771 grows up in a solid, middle-class family 78 00:03:57,804 --> 00:04:00,407 and appears to have a promising future, 79 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,476 according to his attorney, Neil Karadbil. 80 00:04:03,510 --> 00:04:06,646 Karadbil: He was a good student. He was a good athlete. 81 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:11,651 He, early on had an ambition to be a fighter pilot, 82 00:04:11,685 --> 00:04:14,487 and he actually got into the Air Force Academy, 83 00:04:14,521 --> 00:04:16,656 which is no small accomplishment. 84 00:04:16,690 --> 00:04:19,259 Narrator: But after a year at the Air Force Academy, 85 00:04:19,292 --> 00:04:24,097 Van Eman decides it's not for him. 86 00:04:24,130 --> 00:04:27,534 There is another dream calling. 87 00:04:27,567 --> 00:04:30,837 The kid really wants to be in pictures. 88 00:04:30,870 --> 00:04:34,341 Like so many aspiring young actors before him, 89 00:04:34,374 --> 00:04:36,476 he heads to Hollywood. 90 00:04:36,509 --> 00:04:39,512 Karadbil: He actually achieved some success as an actor 91 00:04:39,546 --> 00:04:40,880 by getting a number of roles. 92 00:04:40,914 --> 00:04:43,516 And, in fact, had two starring roles 93 00:04:43,550 --> 00:04:47,087 in some smaller-budget films. 94 00:04:47,087 --> 00:04:48,521 Billy, Billy, Billy. 95 00:04:48,555 --> 00:04:51,157 Narrator: In 2005, Van Eman lands a leading role 96 00:04:51,191 --> 00:04:55,395 in a low-budget feature called "Regarding Billy." 97 00:04:55,428 --> 00:04:57,664 The coming-out story of an Air Force pilot, 98 00:04:57,697 --> 00:05:01,034 coincidentally, and his best friend. 99 00:05:01,034 --> 00:05:03,937 Would you relax, Billy? Get over here. 100 00:05:04,037 --> 00:05:05,538 Let's catch up. 101 00:05:05,572 --> 00:05:08,475 But Van Eman is still waiting on his big break 102 00:05:08,508 --> 00:05:12,045 and struggles to make a living as an actor. 103 00:05:12,078 --> 00:05:15,181 By 2006, he leaves Los Angeles to get married 104 00:05:15,215 --> 00:05:17,951 and start a family in Oklahoma, 105 00:05:18,051 --> 00:05:21,554 but one foot remains firmly in Hollywood. 106 00:05:22,889 --> 00:05:26,326 He wanted to transition from acting 107 00:05:26,359 --> 00:05:29,095 into actually making movies. 108 00:05:29,129 --> 00:05:30,764 Narrator: Van Eman starts a company 109 00:05:30,797 --> 00:05:33,466 called WeatherVane Productions. 110 00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:36,670 And works his L.A. contacts from Bartlesville, 111 00:05:36,703 --> 00:05:39,372 trying to make movie deals. 112 00:05:41,875 --> 00:05:46,746 Around 2011, Van Eman meets 29-year-old Miami investor 113 00:05:46,780 --> 00:05:50,450 Ben McConley through a mutual business associate -- 114 00:05:50,483 --> 00:05:52,819 a Hollywood producer who has worked with Van Eman 115 00:05:52,852 --> 00:05:54,220 on film production 116 00:05:54,254 --> 00:05:57,624 and with McConley on film investing. 117 00:05:57,657 --> 00:06:01,161 Ben McConley owns Forrest Capital Partners 118 00:06:01,194 --> 00:06:04,230 and claims to control an inherited portfolio 119 00:06:04,264 --> 00:06:05,732 of massive wealth 120 00:06:05,765 --> 00:06:09,202 run through his so-called "family office." 121 00:06:09,235 --> 00:06:11,171 Karadbil: He had the fancy clothes. 122 00:06:11,204 --> 00:06:13,773 He had the fine jewelry. 123 00:06:13,807 --> 00:06:18,945 He had all the Ferraris and Maseratis you would want to see. 124 00:06:19,045 --> 00:06:23,416 He was flying on private jets, trips to Las Vegas. 125 00:06:23,450 --> 00:06:26,453 He appeared to be someone 126 00:06:26,486 --> 00:06:30,056 who could finance film and other projects. 127 00:06:30,056 --> 00:06:32,659 Narrator: The high-flying Florida financier 128 00:06:32,692 --> 00:06:34,194 and the Oklahoma producer 129 00:06:34,227 --> 00:06:39,065 decide to partner up with a business plan and a dream -- 130 00:06:39,065 --> 00:06:43,470 to become well-known players in the indie-film world. 131 00:06:43,503 --> 00:06:45,972 Browne: Mr. Van Eman spoke the language of Hollywood, 132 00:06:46,072 --> 00:06:49,509 and he could assure the investors and the producers, 133 00:06:49,542 --> 00:06:51,111 who were, you know, looking for money, 134 00:06:51,144 --> 00:06:54,981 that he was going to be able to match or finance 135 00:06:55,081 --> 00:06:56,583 about 50% of the budget. 136 00:06:56,616 --> 00:07:00,286 He told them that his financial partner, Ben McConley, 137 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:03,223 was going to be the one who actually put the assets 138 00:07:03,256 --> 00:07:06,593 into the deal. 139 00:07:06,626 --> 00:07:08,194 Narrator: The partnership produces 140 00:07:08,228 --> 00:07:10,864 a series of low-budget, straight-to-streaming, 141 00:07:10,897 --> 00:07:12,932 Christian, faith-based projects 142 00:07:13,033 --> 00:07:15,468 with titles including, "The Sparrows" 143 00:07:15,502 --> 00:07:18,304 and "Fishes 'n Loaves: Heaven Sent." 144 00:07:18,338 --> 00:07:22,676 These get little traction but serve an important purpose -- 145 00:07:22,709 --> 00:07:25,779 to build Van Eman's reputation as a producer, 146 00:07:25,812 --> 00:07:29,649 as well as building producing credits. 147 00:07:29,683 --> 00:07:32,686 Browne: The more projects, the more movies they made, 148 00:07:32,719 --> 00:07:34,821 the more reputable directors, producers, 149 00:07:34,854 --> 00:07:36,823 and actors that they had on board, 150 00:07:36,856 --> 00:07:38,324 the more legitimacy they had. 151 00:07:38,358 --> 00:07:43,897 In a real way, their credibility was their IMDb pages. 152 00:07:43,930 --> 00:07:46,566 Narrator: What no one yet knows, however, 153 00:07:46,599 --> 00:07:49,302 is that WeatherVane Productions' business model 154 00:07:49,336 --> 00:07:52,872 is riddled with lies. 155 00:07:52,906 --> 00:07:55,608 Browne: Jason Van Eman's background as an actor, 156 00:07:55,642 --> 00:07:57,210 and, you know, to a lesser extent, 157 00:07:57,243 --> 00:07:59,079 as a movie-business veteran, 158 00:07:59,079 --> 00:08:02,482 really made him ideally suited to become a fraudster. 159 00:08:02,515 --> 00:08:04,050 He was good at pretending, 160 00:08:04,084 --> 00:08:07,020 and that's ultimately what the success of the scheme 161 00:08:07,053 --> 00:08:10,724 depended on was him pretending that he and his partner 162 00:08:10,757 --> 00:08:13,760 had the money to finance these movies. 163 00:08:13,793 --> 00:08:15,362 Narrator: The only assets 164 00:08:15,395 --> 00:08:17,931 these so-called financiers really have 165 00:08:18,031 --> 00:08:21,201 is money brought in from unsuspecting creative partners 166 00:08:21,234 --> 00:08:22,535 and investors. 167 00:08:22,569 --> 00:08:23,903 Browne: The way it worked was, 168 00:08:23,937 --> 00:08:26,306 the money first hit Ben McConley's account. 169 00:08:26,339 --> 00:08:29,042 And then Ben McConley would decide arbitrarily 170 00:08:29,042 --> 00:08:32,045 and kind of on his own how much he was gonna pay himself 171 00:08:32,078 --> 00:08:33,913 and move into his other accounts 172 00:08:33,947 --> 00:08:36,783 and then how much he was gonna send to Jason Van Eman, 173 00:08:36,816 --> 00:08:38,551 and it was Van Eman's responsibility then 174 00:08:38,585 --> 00:08:41,087 to decide which movies got paid 175 00:08:41,121 --> 00:08:44,124 and which ones were left hanging. 176 00:08:44,157 --> 00:08:46,526 Narrator: For eight years, Van Eman and McConley 177 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:48,828 are able to keep their scheme going, 178 00:08:48,862 --> 00:08:50,330 while WeatherVane Productions 179 00:08:50,363 --> 00:08:54,768 parlays its ever-growing reputation into more deals. 180 00:08:54,801 --> 00:08:56,403 And they are meeting with producers 181 00:08:56,436 --> 00:08:58,104 from all over the world 182 00:08:58,138 --> 00:09:02,275 who are searching for funding deals for their indie films. 183 00:09:02,308 --> 00:09:07,881 ** 184 00:09:07,914 --> 00:09:13,019 ** 185 00:09:13,053 --> 00:09:16,022 Sol Papadopoulos is a UK-based producer 186 00:09:16,022 --> 00:09:18,425 working on his latest indie film -- 187 00:09:18,458 --> 00:09:20,026 "A Quiet Passion" -- 188 00:09:20,026 --> 00:09:24,330 a biopic about the life of poet Emily Dickinson 189 00:09:24,364 --> 00:09:27,067 and the passion project of writer and director, 190 00:09:27,100 --> 00:09:30,036 Terence Davies, seen by many critics 191 00:09:30,070 --> 00:09:33,440 as one of the greatest British filmmakers of his time. 192 00:09:33,473 --> 00:09:36,042 He reads Emily Dickinson every month, 193 00:09:36,042 --> 00:09:38,445 and he says it's almost like his religion. 194 00:09:38,478 --> 00:09:42,582 Narrator: Davies has written the script about Dickinson's life 195 00:09:42,615 --> 00:09:45,385 and "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon 196 00:09:45,418 --> 00:09:47,287 has signed on to play the lead. 197 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:51,157 So he said he wrote it sort of with me in mind a bit, 198 00:09:51,191 --> 00:09:53,393 and then he sent me the completed script 199 00:09:53,426 --> 00:09:55,628 and I signed on immediately. 200 00:09:55,662 --> 00:09:58,631 Narrator: Now it's up to producer Sol Papadopoulos 201 00:09:58,665 --> 00:10:02,102 to finance the film. 202 00:10:02,135 --> 00:10:05,805 He travels to the American film market in L.A. 203 00:10:05,839 --> 00:10:07,640 and takes a meeting with Jason Van Eman 204 00:10:07,674 --> 00:10:10,110 of WeatherVane Productions. 205 00:10:10,143 --> 00:10:13,780 Papadopoulos: He was a handsome chap who talked the talk. 206 00:10:13,813 --> 00:10:17,650 He came across as really caring about the project. 207 00:10:17,684 --> 00:10:20,987 And he just laid on the charm. 208 00:10:21,021 --> 00:10:23,089 Narrator: Van Eman's financing structure 209 00:10:23,123 --> 00:10:26,826 is unlike any the filmmaker has encountered before, 210 00:10:26,860 --> 00:10:28,995 and he is intrigued. 211 00:10:29,029 --> 00:10:30,497 Papadopoulos: The structure was, 212 00:10:30,530 --> 00:10:32,165 you put a dollar into their account, 213 00:10:32,198 --> 00:10:36,136 in 90 days, you get $2 back as the investment of 50-50 214 00:10:36,169 --> 00:10:38,838 with your money and theirs into the film production. 215 00:10:38,872 --> 00:10:40,707 No one was doing that structure. 216 00:10:40,740 --> 00:10:42,842 I mean, it was just unbelievable. 217 00:10:42,876 --> 00:10:44,210 Narrator: In other words, 218 00:10:44,244 --> 00:10:46,479 WeatherVane is getting 50% ownership 219 00:10:46,513 --> 00:10:48,348 of the future profits 220 00:10:48,381 --> 00:10:51,785 and only makes money if the film makes money. 221 00:10:51,818 --> 00:10:54,020 The producers are skeptical, 222 00:10:54,054 --> 00:10:57,724 but references on other completed films are positive, 223 00:10:57,757 --> 00:11:00,460 and the agreement appears to be legit. 224 00:11:00,493 --> 00:11:02,095 Papadopoulos: That's when you think, "Okay, 225 00:11:02,128 --> 00:11:04,664 well, should we dip our toes in this water?" 226 00:11:04,698 --> 00:11:06,466 remembering, of course, that we got 227 00:11:06,499 --> 00:11:09,536 an independent film production about an American poet. 228 00:11:09,569 --> 00:11:11,838 It's not hugely commercial. 229 00:11:11,871 --> 00:11:13,406 We took those tentative steps 230 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:19,079 and put $1.8 million into their account. 231 00:11:19,112 --> 00:11:22,916 In hindsight, of course, that was a massive risk. 232 00:11:22,949 --> 00:11:25,151 Narrator: Next on "American Greed," 233 00:11:25,185 --> 00:11:27,554 more producers think their money is safe 234 00:11:27,587 --> 00:11:29,923 in a protected bank account, 235 00:11:29,956 --> 00:11:32,959 but they couldn't be more wrong. 236 00:11:32,992 --> 00:11:35,295 Martino: It haunts me to this day what he said to me. 237 00:11:35,328 --> 00:11:37,230 "Unless they have somebody inside the bank, 238 00:11:37,263 --> 00:11:39,532 there's no way you can lose your money." 239 00:11:39,566 --> 00:11:44,871 ** 240 00:11:49,108 --> 00:11:56,315 ** 241 00:11:56,348 --> 00:12:03,689 ** 242 00:12:03,722 --> 00:12:05,724 Narrator: In late 2014, 243 00:12:05,758 --> 00:12:08,127 UK-based producer Sol Papadopoulos 244 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:11,230 is working on his latest independent film -- 245 00:12:11,263 --> 00:12:13,232 "A Quiet Passion." 246 00:12:13,265 --> 00:12:15,834 90 days after signing a financing agreement 247 00:12:15,868 --> 00:12:19,471 with Jason Van Eman and WeatherVane Productions, 248 00:12:19,505 --> 00:12:21,073 he expects to have access 249 00:12:21,073 --> 00:12:24,610 to a $4 million production account, 250 00:12:24,643 --> 00:12:27,212 but...the account is empty. 251 00:12:27,246 --> 00:12:29,682 Papadopoulos: So, we give them a day, 252 00:12:29,715 --> 00:12:31,083 and then we get on the phone to Jason Van Eman, 253 00:12:31,083 --> 00:12:33,352 and he said, "Well, it's, um, it's on its way. 254 00:12:33,385 --> 00:12:36,555 The banking, you know, there are some compliance issues. 255 00:12:36,588 --> 00:12:39,091 We've got a man on the inside of the bank 256 00:12:39,091 --> 00:12:42,094 who's telling me everything's fine." 257 00:12:42,127 --> 00:12:45,831 Narrator: On day 100, it's definitely not fine. 258 00:12:45,864 --> 00:12:49,368 65 crew members are now building out sets in Belgium 259 00:12:49,401 --> 00:12:51,103 and need to get paid. 260 00:12:51,103 --> 00:12:53,639 The producers are forced to take out a bridge loan 261 00:12:53,672 --> 00:12:55,374 to cover salaries. 262 00:12:55,407 --> 00:12:56,909 Two weeks later, 263 00:12:56,942 --> 00:13:00,779 Van Eman transfers a tiny portion of the funds. 264 00:13:00,813 --> 00:13:03,282 Papadopoulos: We get a drip feed of $10,000. 265 00:13:03,315 --> 00:13:06,518 And then 3 days later, we get another $10,000, 266 00:13:06,552 --> 00:13:08,587 and we're like, "Jason, what's going on?" 267 00:13:08,620 --> 00:13:10,155 He doesn't think there's a problem. 268 00:13:10,189 --> 00:13:11,490 He's getting us the money, 269 00:13:11,523 --> 00:13:13,492 even though it's just drip, drip, drip. 270 00:13:13,525 --> 00:13:14,827 Narrator: When it's a week 271 00:13:14,860 --> 00:13:16,528 before shooting is scheduled to start 272 00:13:16,562 --> 00:13:19,398 with the cast, Papadopoulos has no idea 273 00:13:19,431 --> 00:13:23,936 if he will be able to pay his starring actress, Cynthia Nixon. 274 00:13:23,969 --> 00:13:27,072 No agent in America puts their cast on a plane 275 00:13:27,106 --> 00:13:29,575 without seeing the money in an account. 276 00:13:29,608 --> 00:13:30,943 So, this is the big test. 277 00:13:30,976 --> 00:13:33,212 Then we call Jason Van Eman and say, 278 00:13:33,245 --> 00:13:37,716 "Right, we need several hundred thousand dollars tomorrow 279 00:13:37,750 --> 00:13:39,952 or the film's off." 280 00:13:39,985 --> 00:13:41,186 Narrator: In the nick of time, 281 00:13:41,220 --> 00:13:43,589 Van Eman sends enough for Papadopoulos 282 00:13:43,622 --> 00:13:45,758 to keep the production going, 283 00:13:45,791 --> 00:13:49,695 but the troubles with WeatherVane don't end there. 284 00:13:49,728 --> 00:13:50,996 Papadopoulos: It was possibly 285 00:13:51,096 --> 00:13:52,431 one of the most unpleasant experiences 286 00:13:52,464 --> 00:13:54,700 of my producing life 287 00:13:54,733 --> 00:13:58,103 because every day, you had a cancerous knot, 288 00:13:58,103 --> 00:14:00,439 just wondering if this project is ever gonna be realized. 289 00:14:00,472 --> 00:14:03,275 Narrator: Even though the producer is forced to hound Van Eman 290 00:14:03,308 --> 00:14:05,678 every day for months to get his funding, 291 00:14:05,711 --> 00:14:08,447 Papadopoulos is able to keep the cast and crew 292 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:10,816 unaware of the financial nightmare 293 00:14:10,849 --> 00:14:12,451 happening behind the scenes, 294 00:14:12,484 --> 00:14:16,221 and they are able to pull off a successful shoot and edit. 295 00:14:16,255 --> 00:14:20,059 Papadopoulos: We got away by the skin of our teeth. 296 00:14:20,059 --> 00:14:23,796 And it was a really frightening realization 297 00:14:23,829 --> 00:14:26,632 that it could have all gone so wrong. 298 00:14:26,665 --> 00:14:29,234 Narrator: In February of 2016, 299 00:14:29,268 --> 00:14:33,339 "A Quiet Passion" premieres at the Berlin Film Festival 300 00:14:33,372 --> 00:14:35,074 to critical acclaim. 301 00:14:35,074 --> 00:14:37,943 Papadopoulos believes the film's high profile 302 00:14:37,976 --> 00:14:41,480 is the only reason the money finally came through. 303 00:14:41,513 --> 00:14:43,215 We could only surmise that it was 304 00:14:43,248 --> 00:14:46,118 because we had a really credible project 305 00:14:46,151 --> 00:14:49,722 that they perhaps were using our project, our feature film, 306 00:14:49,755 --> 00:14:53,592 as a proof of concept to then convince others, 307 00:14:53,625 --> 00:14:56,895 "Look, we're 50% investors in this film. 308 00:14:56,929 --> 00:14:58,430 Why don't you invest in the next one?" 309 00:14:58,464 --> 00:15:02,034 And I can only guess that that's why we got away with it 310 00:15:02,034 --> 00:15:05,170 and so many others lost their money. 311 00:15:05,204 --> 00:15:08,040 Narrator: But those losses are still in the future... 312 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:09,141 for now. 313 00:15:09,174 --> 00:15:12,311 With another executive-producer credit under his belt, 314 00:15:12,344 --> 00:15:16,181 Jason Van Eman continues to level up. 315 00:15:16,215 --> 00:15:19,651 He travels to Cannes and other European film festivals 316 00:15:19,685 --> 00:15:22,921 and wines and dines in Monte Carlo. 317 00:15:22,955 --> 00:15:26,425 Browne: He was holding himself out as a film financier, 318 00:15:26,458 --> 00:15:30,195 so it was important for him to be seen aboard mega yachts 319 00:15:30,229 --> 00:15:32,931 and, you know, partying with film-industry types 320 00:15:32,965 --> 00:15:36,702 because it helped him portray himself as legitimate. 321 00:15:37,836 --> 00:15:39,138 Narrator: Within a few years, 322 00:15:39,171 --> 00:15:41,473 WeatherVane has a growing list of titles 323 00:15:41,507 --> 00:15:43,976 with A-list stars attached, 324 00:15:44,076 --> 00:15:47,780 including "Jane Got a Gun, starring Natalie Portman, 325 00:15:47,813 --> 00:15:49,948 "Urge" with Pierce Brosnan, 326 00:15:49,982 --> 00:15:53,886 and film festival darling, "The Tale," starring Laura Dern. 327 00:15:53,919 --> 00:15:58,557 Filmmakers from near and far are taking notice. 328 00:15:58,590 --> 00:16:07,833 ** 329 00:16:07,866 --> 00:16:11,837 Paul Martino is a self-described Philly kid, 330 00:16:11,870 --> 00:16:15,207 born and bred about 3,000 miles from Hollywood 331 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:16,542 and a world away. 332 00:16:16,575 --> 00:16:20,245 It started as a total accident getting into the movie business. 333 00:16:20,279 --> 00:16:22,314 My day job -- I run a venture capital firm 334 00:16:22,348 --> 00:16:23,549 and I am an entrepreneur. 335 00:16:23,582 --> 00:16:27,119 Narrator: He's also a family guy who happens to have a cousin 336 00:16:27,152 --> 00:16:30,189 with an unbelievable life story. 337 00:16:30,222 --> 00:16:32,424 Martino: My cousin Tommy Martino was involved 338 00:16:32,458 --> 00:16:35,894 in one of the largest scandals in sports history. 339 00:16:35,928 --> 00:16:37,363 Him and his buddy Tim Donaghy 340 00:16:37,396 --> 00:16:39,598 were involved in rigging a bunch of NBA games 341 00:16:39,631 --> 00:16:41,867 when Tim was a referee. 342 00:16:41,900 --> 00:16:44,069 Narrator: Tommy Martino served time 343 00:16:44,103 --> 00:16:45,871 for his part in the scandal, 344 00:16:45,904 --> 00:16:49,308 and when he gets out, his prospects are limited, 345 00:16:49,341 --> 00:16:52,077 except for offers he's fielding from producers 346 00:16:52,077 --> 00:16:55,114 trying to nab his so-called "life rights," 347 00:16:55,147 --> 00:16:57,416 or ownership of his story. 348 00:16:57,449 --> 00:16:59,084 Martino: And he called me up, he said, 349 00:16:59,084 --> 00:17:00,753 "Paulie, will you read this contract?" 350 00:17:00,786 --> 00:17:02,121 He sends me this contract, 351 00:17:02,154 --> 00:17:04,356 and it was the most awful one-sided contract 352 00:17:04,390 --> 00:17:05,257 I'd ever read in my life. 353 00:17:05,290 --> 00:17:07,026 I said, "Tommy, you can't sign this." 354 00:17:07,059 --> 00:17:08,394 He's like, "Look, I just got out of jail. 355 00:17:08,427 --> 00:17:09,495 I need some money." 356 00:17:09,528 --> 00:17:12,564 And so, I bought his life rights really just as a -- 357 00:17:12,598 --> 00:17:15,367 just as a favor to my cousin to get him back on his feet 358 00:17:15,401 --> 00:17:16,935 after he got out of jail. 359 00:17:17,036 --> 00:17:18,771 I never in a million years ever thought 360 00:17:18,804 --> 00:17:20,639 that we would make a film, 361 00:17:20,673 --> 00:17:23,642 let alone be talking about what happened en route 362 00:17:23,676 --> 00:17:25,477 to making a film. 363 00:17:25,511 --> 00:17:29,048 Narrator: Six months later, Martino happens to meet 364 00:17:29,081 --> 00:17:31,850 Hollywood screenwriter Andy Callahan, 365 00:17:31,884 --> 00:17:34,420 also a big basketball fan from Philly. 366 00:17:34,453 --> 00:17:37,523 When Callahan hears the story, he asks to write it 367 00:17:37,556 --> 00:17:42,094 and turns out a screenplay for a film called "Inside Game." 368 00:17:42,127 --> 00:17:45,431 Martino: It is the true story of Tommy Martino, 369 00:17:45,464 --> 00:17:48,567 who's my cousin, Tim Donaghy, who's the referee, 370 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:50,602 and Jimmy Battista, who's the gambler. 371 00:17:50,636 --> 00:17:53,138 Basically, the three of them hatched a scandal 372 00:17:53,172 --> 00:17:54,673 that was all based on the fact 373 00:17:54,707 --> 00:17:56,942 that Tim knew how certain games were gonna get called. 374 00:17:56,975 --> 00:17:58,277 And it was a pretty amazing story. 375 00:17:58,310 --> 00:18:00,245 In many ways, I called the film, 376 00:18:00,279 --> 00:18:03,215 "Goodfellas for Dummies," because these three 377 00:18:03,248 --> 00:18:07,219 kind of not exactly the sharpest guys around 378 00:18:07,252 --> 00:18:10,389 got in way over their head and managed to piss off the NBA, 379 00:18:10,422 --> 00:18:13,692 the FBI, and the mob all at the same time. 380 00:18:13,726 --> 00:18:17,129 Narrator: Paul Martino contacts Michael Pierce, 381 00:18:17,162 --> 00:18:19,865 a fellow venture capitalist and former movie producer 382 00:18:19,898 --> 00:18:23,502 with a track record of successful films. 383 00:18:23,535 --> 00:18:25,371 So, I read the script. He had hired someone 384 00:18:25,404 --> 00:18:27,473 to write the script, and it was not a bad script. 385 00:18:27,506 --> 00:18:30,142 So, I said, "You know what? As a side pet project, 386 00:18:30,175 --> 00:18:33,078 let me tinker with this for a while." 387 00:18:33,112 --> 00:18:36,115 Narrator: With that, Paul Martino thinks he's found a way 388 00:18:36,148 --> 00:18:40,085 to make his movie-making dreams come true. 389 00:18:41,854 --> 00:18:44,957 Up next, the entrepreneur with a screenplay 390 00:18:45,057 --> 00:18:49,061 comes face-to-face with Hollywood's dark side... 391 00:18:49,061 --> 00:18:50,295 Martino: The line producer calls me up. 392 00:18:50,329 --> 00:18:52,064 He says, "Paul, why is there no money 393 00:18:52,064 --> 00:18:53,632 in the production account?" 394 00:18:53,666 --> 00:18:57,736 Narrator: ...and takes on a mission to expose the con men. 395 00:18:57,770 --> 00:19:00,339 Martino: I said, "Ben, I promise you 396 00:19:00,372 --> 00:19:03,742 this will be an outstanding episode of 'American Greed.' 397 00:19:03,776 --> 00:19:07,646 It will be my life goal to make sure that episode happens." 398 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:12,418 ** 399 00:19:16,671 --> 00:19:22,009 ** 400 00:19:22,009 --> 00:19:26,781 Narrator: In early 2015, serial entrepreneur Paul Martino 401 00:19:26,814 --> 00:19:28,382 makes a career shift -- 402 00:19:28,416 --> 00:19:31,385 from venture capital to filmmaking 403 00:19:31,419 --> 00:19:35,256 with the production of his movie, "Inside Game." 404 00:19:35,289 --> 00:19:37,325 This is like any other startup company. 405 00:19:37,358 --> 00:19:38,693 What do I need to go do? 406 00:19:38,726 --> 00:19:40,161 It's like, "Okay, we need a director. 407 00:19:40,194 --> 00:19:42,363 We need to figure out what the budget is." 408 00:19:42,396 --> 00:19:45,366 Martino and his new partner, Michael Pierce, 409 00:19:45,399 --> 00:19:49,370 anticipate needing about $4 million to make the film. 410 00:19:49,403 --> 00:19:52,273 And while Martino is hugely successful, 411 00:19:52,306 --> 00:19:55,042 he doesn't want to take on all the risk. 412 00:19:55,042 --> 00:19:57,044 Martino: I said, "Look, Michael, I'm good for half that. 413 00:19:57,044 --> 00:19:58,412 I have a couple buddies of mine 414 00:19:58,446 --> 00:20:00,815 and we'll put up -- call it about $2 million. 415 00:20:00,848 --> 00:20:03,384 Can you figure out how we do the rest?" 416 00:20:03,417 --> 00:20:05,586 Narrator: Pierce hires a line producer 417 00:20:05,619 --> 00:20:07,888 and tasks him with finding a way 418 00:20:07,922 --> 00:20:10,291 to finance the other half of the film, 419 00:20:10,324 --> 00:20:13,361 and the producer comes back with a lead -- 420 00:20:13,394 --> 00:20:15,296 WeatherVane Productions. 421 00:20:15,329 --> 00:20:18,899 He says, "I have found a financing arrangement 422 00:20:18,933 --> 00:20:20,768 that is foolproof, 423 00:20:20,801 --> 00:20:24,772 and it requires only half of the capital 424 00:20:24,805 --> 00:20:26,707 and they'll give us the other half." 425 00:20:26,741 --> 00:20:28,609 I said, "Okay, well, that sounds good. 426 00:20:28,642 --> 00:20:30,111 It's a matching deal." 427 00:20:30,144 --> 00:20:32,446 I said, "Who are these guys and what have they done?" 428 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,850 Narrator: The guys are executive producer Jason Van Eman 429 00:20:35,883 --> 00:20:38,786 and wealthy investor Benjamin McConley. 430 00:20:38,819 --> 00:20:40,221 Through WeatherVane Productions, 431 00:20:40,254 --> 00:20:43,290 they have financed several independent films 432 00:20:43,324 --> 00:20:46,761 and are in production on many more. 433 00:20:46,794 --> 00:20:50,164 We did our reference calls on who WeatherVane and Jason 434 00:20:50,197 --> 00:20:52,533 and his business partner, Ben McConley, were. 435 00:20:52,566 --> 00:20:55,102 We found other people who had made films with them. 436 00:20:55,136 --> 00:20:57,238 Narrator: Michael Pierce calls a reference 437 00:20:57,271 --> 00:21:00,541 at one of the largest talent agencies in Hollywood 438 00:21:00,574 --> 00:21:02,043 and likes what he hears. 439 00:21:02,076 --> 00:21:03,911 Pierce: She said, "Well, they seem to have money, 440 00:21:03,944 --> 00:21:06,781 and they have a lending facility 441 00:21:06,814 --> 00:21:10,051 with Wells Fargo Bank out of Miami." 442 00:21:10,051 --> 00:21:11,452 I said, "Really, Wells Fargo? 443 00:21:11,485 --> 00:21:14,121 Wow, that's one of the oldest and most esteemed 444 00:21:14,155 --> 00:21:15,489 lending institutions in America, 445 00:21:15,523 --> 00:21:18,259 so that sounds like it's legit to me, right?" 446 00:21:18,292 --> 00:21:21,462 She says, "Well, we haven't had any issues so far." 447 00:21:21,495 --> 00:21:24,332 Narrator: The agreement is relatively simple -- 448 00:21:24,365 --> 00:21:26,500 Martino and Pierce would send their half 449 00:21:26,534 --> 00:21:29,937 to Ben McConley's personal Wells Fargo banker, 450 00:21:29,970 --> 00:21:33,074 Benjamin Rafael, in Florida, 451 00:21:33,074 --> 00:21:36,944 and Rafael will certify and manage the accounts. 452 00:21:36,977 --> 00:21:38,179 Martino: Ben was presented to us 453 00:21:38,212 --> 00:21:41,582 as a very successful multimillionaire 454 00:21:41,615 --> 00:21:43,517 from a very wealthy family. 455 00:21:43,551 --> 00:21:45,686 He is able to collateralize your money 456 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,622 up against his other assets to produce the match. 457 00:21:48,656 --> 00:21:49,824 So, we talked to the banker. 458 00:21:49,857 --> 00:21:51,692 I got on the phone with him in Miami, 459 00:21:51,726 --> 00:21:54,929 and it all checked out. 460 00:21:54,962 --> 00:21:57,999 Narrator: Before sending his $1.25 million 461 00:21:58,099 --> 00:21:59,934 to WeatherVane, as a final precaution, 462 00:22:00,034 --> 00:22:02,036 Martino decides to have the contracts 463 00:22:02,036 --> 00:22:06,040 reviewed one more time by his business partner, 464 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:08,042 a securities lawyer. 465 00:22:08,042 --> 00:22:10,411 It haunts me to this day what he said to me. 466 00:22:10,444 --> 00:22:13,714 "This contract is weird, but it's ironclad. 467 00:22:13,748 --> 00:22:15,549 Unless they have somebody inside the bank, 468 00:22:15,583 --> 00:22:18,052 there's no way you can lose your money." 469 00:22:20,221 --> 00:22:22,189 Narrator: In May of 2015, 470 00:22:22,223 --> 00:22:25,526 Martino wires the money to McConley's account. 471 00:22:25,559 --> 00:22:30,231 And that summer, pre-production on "Inside Game" gets underway. 472 00:22:30,264 --> 00:22:32,700 All seems to be going smoothly... 473 00:22:32,733 --> 00:22:35,269 until it isn't. 474 00:22:35,302 --> 00:22:36,537 Martino: We're doing preproduction work. 475 00:22:36,570 --> 00:22:37,738 We're scouting locations. 476 00:22:37,772 --> 00:22:39,340 We're interviewing directors. 477 00:22:39,373 --> 00:22:41,742 And then eventually we get to the spot 478 00:22:41,776 --> 00:22:43,344 where the line producer now needs 479 00:22:43,377 --> 00:22:45,579 to have access to the production budget 480 00:22:45,613 --> 00:22:49,884 'cause he needs to start writing checks to go secure locations. 481 00:22:49,917 --> 00:22:51,218 The line producer calls me up. 482 00:22:51,252 --> 00:22:52,720 He says, "Paul, why is there no money 483 00:22:52,753 --> 00:22:55,923 in the production account?" 484 00:22:55,956 --> 00:22:58,125 Narrator: There's supposed to be about $4 million 485 00:22:58,159 --> 00:23:00,227 in their production account, 486 00:23:00,261 --> 00:23:03,464 but the balance is zero. 487 00:23:03,497 --> 00:23:06,934 Michael and I are like, "Look, that money needed to be there." 488 00:23:07,034 --> 00:23:08,636 We're calling Ben. We're calling Jason. 489 00:23:08,669 --> 00:23:10,171 We're calling the bank. 490 00:23:10,204 --> 00:23:12,106 "You know, what's going on here?" 491 00:23:12,139 --> 00:23:13,140 Pierce: And they said, "Oh, it's coming. 492 00:23:13,174 --> 00:23:14,608 We just got a little held up, 493 00:23:14,642 --> 00:23:16,777 and we have, you know, five movies in production. 494 00:23:16,811 --> 00:23:20,381 It'll be here in, you know, two or three weeks." 495 00:23:20,414 --> 00:23:24,618 Three weeks go by and money doesn't get to the account, 496 00:23:24,652 --> 00:23:27,054 and I'm starting to realize this is bad. 497 00:23:27,054 --> 00:23:28,956 This is bad. 498 00:23:30,624 --> 00:23:33,594 Narrator: Paul Martino decides it's time to figure out 499 00:23:33,627 --> 00:23:35,796 just how bad it is... 500 00:23:35,830 --> 00:23:37,365 and hires a private investigator 501 00:23:37,398 --> 00:23:40,468 to look into the man with the money. 502 00:23:40,501 --> 00:23:42,937 Martino: I said, "Listen, I've got somebody I need you 503 00:23:42,970 --> 00:23:45,573 to go check in on in Miami. 504 00:23:45,606 --> 00:23:49,076 Would you please go take a look at Ben McConley?" 505 00:23:49,076 --> 00:23:51,078 He goes, he observes his behavior, 506 00:23:51,112 --> 00:23:53,581 he looks at bank accounts. 507 00:23:56,083 --> 00:23:57,785 Narrator: 48 hours later, 508 00:23:57,818 --> 00:24:01,822 the investigator calls Martino with an update, 509 00:24:01,856 --> 00:24:04,792 and it's all bad news. 510 00:24:04,825 --> 00:24:07,194 Martino: He goes, "Paul, your money's all gone. 511 00:24:07,228 --> 00:24:09,163 This guy stole it all." 512 00:24:09,196 --> 00:24:10,531 And so, I call Michael up. 513 00:24:10,564 --> 00:24:13,167 I go, "Michael, it's exactly what you thought. 514 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,303 And our investigator is 100% certain that the money is gone, 515 00:24:16,337 --> 00:24:19,106 100% certain, no doubt in his mind." 516 00:24:19,140 --> 00:24:21,709 Narrator: What makes the P.I. so sure? 517 00:24:21,742 --> 00:24:25,279 It's all laid out in his damaging dossier -- 518 00:24:25,312 --> 00:24:29,483 a document laying bare Ben McConley's outrageous lifestyle, 519 00:24:29,517 --> 00:24:34,355 his financial information, and his alleged criminal record. 520 00:24:34,388 --> 00:24:36,557 And it was everything Michael and I was worried 521 00:24:36,590 --> 00:24:38,059 that this report was gonna say. 522 00:24:38,059 --> 00:24:39,460 Pierce: Our worst fears were realized 523 00:24:39,493 --> 00:24:41,228 'cause I just thought, "Great, 524 00:24:41,262 --> 00:24:43,164 he's got a fleet of exotic cars. 525 00:24:43,197 --> 00:24:44,598 He frequents clubs 526 00:24:44,632 --> 00:24:47,868 and spends $20,000 on bottle service every night. 527 00:24:47,902 --> 00:24:51,138 Geez, I wonder where our money went." 528 00:24:51,172 --> 00:24:55,109 Ben McConley is brazenly spending lavish amounts of money 529 00:24:55,142 --> 00:24:56,644 all around South Florida, 530 00:24:56,677 --> 00:24:59,347 and it is all documented on social media, 531 00:24:59,380 --> 00:25:01,782 with his girlfriend -- and later wife -- 532 00:25:01,816 --> 00:25:05,853 an Instagram "model" for whom McConley employs 533 00:25:05,886 --> 00:25:09,757 personal photographers for her weekly photo shoots. 534 00:25:09,790 --> 00:25:11,692 When you pictured a person 535 00:25:11,726 --> 00:25:14,528 that would steal your money in a scandal, 536 00:25:14,562 --> 00:25:16,697 you would picture him living the lifestyle 537 00:25:16,731 --> 00:25:18,466 of Ben McConley in Miami. 538 00:25:18,499 --> 00:25:25,039 The model Instagram girlfriend, the fancy cars, the big house. 539 00:25:25,039 --> 00:25:27,575 The P.I. unearthed that his girlfriend was now pregnant 540 00:25:27,608 --> 00:25:29,744 and that they had this baby shower. 541 00:25:29,777 --> 00:25:31,345 He said, "I think they spent a million dollars 542 00:25:31,379 --> 00:25:32,646 on this baby shower." 543 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:34,215 So, when you're picturing somebody 544 00:25:34,248 --> 00:25:36,484 who's gonna steal money from you 545 00:25:36,517 --> 00:25:38,853 and spend it like it's not theirs, 546 00:25:38,886 --> 00:25:41,255 you're picturing Ben McConley. 547 00:25:43,424 --> 00:25:44,792 Narrator: With their money gone, 548 00:25:44,825 --> 00:25:48,062 Martino and Pierce make the tough decision 549 00:25:48,095 --> 00:25:50,865 to stop production of "Inside Game." 550 00:25:51,932 --> 00:25:57,304 Next, Paul Martino is not giving up without a fight. 551 00:25:57,338 --> 00:25:59,306 Martino: You know that the whole house of cards 552 00:25:59,340 --> 00:26:00,708 has now collapsed on itself. 553 00:26:00,741 --> 00:26:03,778 There is no new money coming into the system. 554 00:26:03,811 --> 00:26:07,748 And that's when I got the bright idea how to go after these guys. 555 00:26:07,782 --> 00:26:13,321 ** 556 00:26:16,824 --> 00:26:21,462 ** 557 00:26:21,495 --> 00:26:25,766 Narrator: In the fall of 2015, Paul Martino and Michael Pierce 558 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:30,137 should be filming their indie movie, "Inside Game," 559 00:26:30,171 --> 00:26:33,240 but their $4 million budget has vanished, 560 00:26:33,274 --> 00:26:35,476 and they suspect that their financiers -- 561 00:26:35,509 --> 00:26:38,145 Jason Van Eman and Ben McConley -- 562 00:26:38,179 --> 00:26:40,948 are running a Ponzi scheme. 563 00:26:41,048 --> 00:26:44,652 Martino: They probably used money from later projects to fund 564 00:26:44,685 --> 00:26:47,154 a few projects that we got the good references for, 565 00:26:47,188 --> 00:26:48,622 and they ran out of money 566 00:26:48,656 --> 00:26:50,791 by the time it was time to do our project. 567 00:26:50,825 --> 00:26:53,961 I just remember that pit-in-my-stomach feeling of, 568 00:26:54,061 --> 00:26:55,229 "This really happened. 569 00:26:55,262 --> 00:26:58,699 I'm the person who got duped and I brought other people with me." 570 00:26:58,733 --> 00:27:01,535 That's a horrible feeling. 571 00:27:01,569 --> 00:27:04,472 Narrator: Most of Paul Martino's career has been spent 572 00:27:04,505 --> 00:27:07,274 in the tech industry in Silicon Valley, 573 00:27:07,308 --> 00:27:11,078 so, he pulls in his IT team to develop a website alert 574 00:27:11,112 --> 00:27:14,148 that pops up any time someone searches the Internet 575 00:27:14,181 --> 00:27:18,085 for key words related to WeatherVane Productions. 576 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:21,188 The pop-up details his allegations of fraud 577 00:27:21,222 --> 00:27:25,893 and asks anyone with concerns to contact Paul Martino. 578 00:27:25,926 --> 00:27:28,829 Martino: And over the course of six or so months, 579 00:27:28,863 --> 00:27:31,932 almost 30 different people called me on that phone number. 580 00:27:32,033 --> 00:27:34,168 And those calls, they were all over the map. 581 00:27:34,201 --> 00:27:36,837 Some of them were, "These guys stole my money." 582 00:27:36,871 --> 00:27:39,473 Some of them were, "I'm thinking about working with them. 583 00:27:39,507 --> 00:27:41,208 What do you think?" 584 00:27:41,242 --> 00:27:43,644 Boy, this pissed Ben and Jason off. 585 00:27:43,678 --> 00:27:46,047 They knew my phone was gonna ring every time 586 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,182 they were trying to reel in another fish. 587 00:27:48,215 --> 00:27:52,520 Narrator: Martino gathers a list of other producers and investors 588 00:27:52,553 --> 00:27:57,058 who claim they have lost their money to WeatherVane deals. 589 00:27:57,091 --> 00:27:59,226 Martino: We know that we're victims of fraud. 590 00:27:59,260 --> 00:28:02,596 We know that these are criminal actors on the other side 591 00:28:02,630 --> 00:28:03,998 and our objective is really now 592 00:28:03,998 --> 00:28:05,733 just to collect enough information 593 00:28:05,766 --> 00:28:08,869 to try and go after them and I remember telling Ben, 594 00:28:08,903 --> 00:28:11,038 "At some point, somebody's gonna call me from the FBI 595 00:28:11,072 --> 00:28:13,441 and ask for all the names I found." 596 00:28:13,474 --> 00:28:19,013 ** 597 00:28:19,013 --> 00:28:24,185 ** 598 00:28:24,218 --> 00:28:28,589 Narrator: In 2016, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne 599 00:28:28,622 --> 00:28:30,624 begins fielding complaints 600 00:28:30,658 --> 00:28:33,728 about a possible film-financing fraud. 601 00:28:33,761 --> 00:28:35,463 Browne: Several victims told us 602 00:28:35,496 --> 00:28:38,432 that they had been looking for financing. 603 00:28:38,466 --> 00:28:42,603 Many of them to make movies and that they initially approached 604 00:28:42,636 --> 00:28:45,106 or were approached by a company called 605 00:28:45,139 --> 00:28:47,108 WeatherVane Productions, 606 00:28:47,141 --> 00:28:50,478 and its principal, Jason Van Eman. 607 00:28:50,511 --> 00:28:53,180 Narrator: FBI Special Agent Mark Soucy 608 00:28:53,214 --> 00:28:54,849 is brought in to investigate 609 00:28:54,882 --> 00:28:59,120 and is quickly alerted to Paul Martino. 610 00:28:59,153 --> 00:29:01,756 Paul was one of those victims when I spoke to 611 00:29:01,789 --> 00:29:03,257 that I just could not believe 612 00:29:03,290 --> 00:29:06,994 that he would lose all his money to these individuals. 613 00:29:06,994 --> 00:29:09,664 Martino: So I'm on the phone, and Mark is being polite, 614 00:29:09,697 --> 00:29:11,298 and he's kind of like, "You know, Paul, 615 00:29:11,332 --> 00:29:13,000 we think that you might have been a victim of a crime." 616 00:29:13,034 --> 00:29:14,802 I said, "Yeah, I-I know I was the victim of a crime. 617 00:29:14,835 --> 00:29:16,203 By the way, would you like to see the report 618 00:29:16,237 --> 00:29:17,304 I got from the P.I.?" 619 00:29:17,338 --> 00:29:18,806 He's like, "Yes, I would." 620 00:29:18,839 --> 00:29:20,641 "Oh, by the way, I set up a website, 621 00:29:20,675 --> 00:29:23,644 and I found 30 other victims and references. 622 00:29:23,678 --> 00:29:25,546 Would you like to speak with them?" 623 00:29:25,579 --> 00:29:27,815 He's like, "Yeah, yeah, 624 00:29:27,848 --> 00:29:30,151 I-I would like to speak with them." 625 00:29:30,184 --> 00:29:33,888 So, Paul Martino was unique in this investigation. 626 00:29:33,921 --> 00:29:37,525 And a lot of referrals and a lot of victims 627 00:29:37,558 --> 00:29:41,662 came to the FBI through that source. 628 00:29:41,696 --> 00:29:43,497 Narrator: The investigation team learns 629 00:29:43,531 --> 00:29:48,235 that while the largest loss is a staggering $28 million, 630 00:29:48,269 --> 00:29:51,839 the vast majority of victims are much smaller players, 631 00:29:51,872 --> 00:29:54,675 creative individuals scraping together funds 632 00:29:54,709 --> 00:29:57,044 to realize a dream. 633 00:29:57,078 --> 00:30:00,514 Jason Van Eman and Ben McConley had promised to help 634 00:30:00,548 --> 00:30:03,517 make those dreams come true, 635 00:30:03,551 --> 00:30:05,486 but it's all lies. 636 00:30:05,519 --> 00:30:08,589 Browne: They targeted a pretty small insular community, 637 00:30:08,622 --> 00:30:10,024 you know, of creatives, 638 00:30:10,057 --> 00:30:13,527 of people who are in this independent-film world, 639 00:30:13,561 --> 00:30:15,363 who really, you know, need financing 640 00:30:15,396 --> 00:30:17,898 because they don't have big studios backing them. 641 00:30:17,932 --> 00:30:21,268 So, they put a lot of trust in these defendants 642 00:30:21,302 --> 00:30:25,606 and ultimately that -- that trust was betrayed. 643 00:30:25,639 --> 00:30:27,475 Narrator: Investigators also learn 644 00:30:27,508 --> 00:30:31,912 that Ben McConley's so-called private banker, Benjamin Rafael, 645 00:30:31,946 --> 00:30:34,882 is simply a mid-level bank employee 646 00:30:34,915 --> 00:30:38,552 recruited by McConley to participate in the fraud. 647 00:30:38,586 --> 00:30:40,154 Agent Soucy discovers 648 00:30:40,187 --> 00:30:43,891 that Rafael was fired from the bank in 2015, 649 00:30:43,924 --> 00:30:46,027 yet he continues to provide fake, 650 00:30:46,060 --> 00:30:47,395 official-looking bank letters 651 00:30:47,428 --> 00:30:51,065 to Van Eman and McConley to give to their investors 652 00:30:51,098 --> 00:30:53,968 about the security of their accounts. 653 00:30:54,001 --> 00:30:56,604 Soucy: What we found is there was no secure account. 654 00:30:56,637 --> 00:30:58,572 It was Forrest Capital Partners, 655 00:30:58,606 --> 00:31:02,043 Benjamin McConley's business checking account at Wells Fargo. 656 00:31:02,043 --> 00:31:03,944 That's solely what it was. 657 00:31:04,045 --> 00:31:07,415 And a giant portion of investor money was moved 658 00:31:07,448 --> 00:31:11,419 and spent nearly immediately. 659 00:31:11,452 --> 00:31:12,887 Narrator: The FBI calculates 660 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:14,422 that over the course of seven years, 661 00:31:14,455 --> 00:31:17,391 more than $68 million moves into 662 00:31:17,425 --> 00:31:20,194 and quickly out of McConley's account -- 663 00:31:20,227 --> 00:31:23,931 much of it spent as fast as he could get it. 664 00:31:23,964 --> 00:31:27,234 Soucy: Social media was full of Benjamin McConley 665 00:31:27,268 --> 00:31:28,436 and Livia McConley. 666 00:31:28,469 --> 00:31:30,905 Her Instagram accounts, Twitter, 667 00:31:30,938 --> 00:31:35,443 were filled with luxury travel, luxury clothing. 668 00:31:35,476 --> 00:31:38,079 At one point, he was spending tens of thousands of dollars 669 00:31:38,079 --> 00:31:42,450 a month just on flowers for his wife with all victim money. 670 00:31:42,483 --> 00:31:45,886 Narrator: Investigators trace approximately $20 million 671 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,589 of the fraudulent proceeds to a company controlled 672 00:31:48,622 --> 00:31:50,124 by Jason Van Eman, 673 00:31:50,157 --> 00:31:52,460 and he alone decides how much to keep 674 00:31:52,493 --> 00:31:56,230 and how much to send to his various investors. 675 00:31:56,263 --> 00:31:58,299 Soucy: Some of these projects would get desperate. 676 00:31:58,332 --> 00:32:00,434 They had time deadlines they had to meet. 677 00:32:00,468 --> 00:32:03,270 They had actors' schedules they had to keep up with. 678 00:32:03,304 --> 00:32:05,806 At times, Mr. Van Eman would send them 679 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:09,677 just pieces of the money to keep the project going. 680 00:32:09,710 --> 00:32:12,413 Some projects didn't receive any of the money 681 00:32:12,446 --> 00:32:14,148 that went to Jason. 682 00:32:14,181 --> 00:32:17,118 Narrator: Next, as the investigation continues, 683 00:32:17,151 --> 00:32:20,254 WeatherVane Productions is still operational. 684 00:32:20,287 --> 00:32:22,690 And they have a new stream of income, 685 00:32:22,723 --> 00:32:24,825 and it's not coming from Hollywood 686 00:32:24,859 --> 00:32:27,662 but all the way on the other coast. 687 00:32:27,695 --> 00:32:32,166 These were individuals, writers, producers that were involved 688 00:32:32,199 --> 00:32:34,335 in some of the most well-known Broadway shows 689 00:32:34,368 --> 00:32:36,671 over the past 25 years. 690 00:32:36,704 --> 00:32:42,743 ** 691 00:32:45,635 --> 00:32:51,441 ** 692 00:32:51,474 --> 00:32:55,912 Narrator: In 2018, Jason Van Eman and Ben McConley 693 00:32:55,945 --> 00:32:58,848 have been feeling the heat in Hollywood. 694 00:32:58,882 --> 00:33:01,151 Their firm, WeatherVane Productions, 695 00:33:01,184 --> 00:33:04,788 is facing multiple lawsuits and investors are hounding them 696 00:33:04,821 --> 00:33:06,189 for their money. 697 00:33:06,222 --> 00:33:08,725 Desperate for a new stream of income, 698 00:33:08,758 --> 00:33:11,528 the duo finds it in the Big Apple. 699 00:33:11,561 --> 00:33:16,032 Word got out, especially in the independent-film community, 700 00:33:16,032 --> 00:33:19,536 and as a result, they decided not to stop their fraud, 701 00:33:19,569 --> 00:33:23,340 but to keep it rolling and they began targeting producers 702 00:33:23,373 --> 00:33:27,277 in the Broadway and theater-production business. 703 00:33:27,310 --> 00:33:30,080 Narrator: Jason Van Eman also bills himself 704 00:33:30,113 --> 00:33:31,915 as a theater financier 705 00:33:31,948 --> 00:33:35,552 and starts adding new victims to his portfolio. 706 00:33:35,585 --> 00:33:38,755 Soucy: They did a smaller project, Penn & Teller, 707 00:33:38,788 --> 00:33:43,293 that was somewhat successful and then word of mouth took off 708 00:33:43,326 --> 00:33:45,562 that there was another source of funding. 709 00:33:45,595 --> 00:33:48,832 Many projects that they went into business with 710 00:33:48,865 --> 00:33:50,734 never got a penny back. 711 00:33:50,767 --> 00:33:54,337 Browne: We saw victims being impacted in really serious ways 712 00:33:54,371 --> 00:33:56,873 where it wasn't just their production 713 00:33:56,906 --> 00:33:58,575 that was being shut down. 714 00:33:58,608 --> 00:34:00,877 I mean, their reputations, and in some cases, their careers 715 00:34:00,910 --> 00:34:02,512 were destroyed by this fraud. 716 00:34:02,545 --> 00:34:05,849 Ultimately their projects were doomed 717 00:34:05,882 --> 00:34:07,584 because of their association 718 00:34:07,617 --> 00:34:09,786 with Mr. Van Eman and Mr. McConley 719 00:34:09,819 --> 00:34:14,124 and not coming through with the funding they promised. 720 00:34:14,157 --> 00:34:16,793 Myself and the prosecution wanted this to end. 721 00:34:16,826 --> 00:34:24,467 ** 722 00:34:24,501 --> 00:34:29,172 Narrator: In the summer of 2019, Jason Van Eman, Ben McConley, 723 00:34:29,205 --> 00:34:32,609 and Benjamin Rafael are all indicted 724 00:34:32,642 --> 00:34:34,277 on multiple counts of fraud 725 00:34:34,311 --> 00:34:38,882 in their alleged $68 million finance scheme. 726 00:34:38,915 --> 00:34:42,052 A month later, FBI special agent Mark Soucy 727 00:34:42,052 --> 00:34:46,423 locates Ben McConley at a posh Miami resort. 728 00:34:46,456 --> 00:34:48,625 Soucy: From the moment I walked through his hotel door 729 00:34:48,658 --> 00:34:53,263 and put handcuffs on him, he looked like he was relieved. 730 00:34:53,296 --> 00:34:55,065 It almost looked like this burden 731 00:34:55,065 --> 00:34:56,833 was lifted off his shoulders. 732 00:34:56,866 --> 00:35:00,870 Narrator: On the same day, the FBI arrests Jason Van Eman 733 00:35:00,904 --> 00:35:03,373 at his home in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. 734 00:35:03,406 --> 00:35:08,378 Benjamin Rafael is arrested at his home in Miami. 735 00:35:08,411 --> 00:35:10,447 Within a week, Ben McConley agrees 736 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,615 to fully cooperate with the government. 737 00:35:12,649 --> 00:35:17,454 He pleads guilty and on September 14, 2021, 738 00:35:17,487 --> 00:35:22,025 is sentenced to 13 years in federal prison. 739 00:35:22,058 --> 00:35:24,394 Rafael is equally cooperative 740 00:35:24,427 --> 00:35:28,531 and ultimately is sentenced to 42 months. 741 00:35:28,565 --> 00:35:32,869 Jason Van Eman, however, has other ideas. 742 00:35:32,902 --> 00:35:42,178 ** 743 00:35:42,212 --> 00:35:45,181 At the U.S. Federal Building in Fort Lauderdale, 744 00:35:45,215 --> 00:35:50,053 the trial of 44-year-old Jason Van Eman begins. 745 00:35:50,053 --> 00:35:52,322 Assistant U.S. attorney Christopher Browne 746 00:35:52,355 --> 00:35:56,059 relies heavily on victims to make his case. 747 00:35:56,092 --> 00:35:59,329 We called 15 different victims to the stand 748 00:35:59,362 --> 00:36:01,431 during this six-week-long trial 749 00:36:01,464 --> 00:36:06,002 because we knew the victims, they were telling the truth. 750 00:36:06,002 --> 00:36:08,004 Narrator: Including Michael Pierce, 751 00:36:08,004 --> 00:36:09,839 who takes the stand and tells the jury 752 00:36:09,873 --> 00:36:15,011 about sharing prophetic words with Van Eman two years prior. 753 00:36:15,011 --> 00:36:17,480 Pierce: I said, "Jason, I'm sad to say this to you, 754 00:36:17,514 --> 00:36:20,150 but the next time you hear me talk, 755 00:36:20,183 --> 00:36:22,252 it will be in a federal trial, 756 00:36:22,285 --> 00:36:24,721 and you will be going to jail, I promise you." 757 00:36:24,754 --> 00:36:26,623 And he said, "'F' you," and then he hung up. 758 00:36:26,656 --> 00:36:29,092 That's the last time I spoke to him. 759 00:36:29,125 --> 00:36:33,363 And, of course, I saw him in trial two years later. 760 00:36:33,396 --> 00:36:36,433 Narrator: Paul Martino also takes the stand, 761 00:36:36,466 --> 00:36:40,403 coming face-to-face with Van Eman for the first time. 762 00:36:40,437 --> 00:36:42,505 Martino: He was sitting where he deserved to be sitting -- 763 00:36:42,539 --> 00:36:45,475 defending himself in a court for a crime he committed. 764 00:36:45,508 --> 00:36:47,043 That's where he deserved to be. 765 00:36:47,043 --> 00:36:48,345 And I was very satisfied 766 00:36:48,378 --> 00:36:50,947 when I finally got to see him sitting there. 767 00:36:51,047 --> 00:36:54,284 Browne: We also wanted the jury to see that the bank accounts, 768 00:36:54,317 --> 00:36:55,552 the brokerage accounts, 769 00:36:55,585 --> 00:36:57,554 all of these financial institutions 770 00:36:57,587 --> 00:37:01,124 where they believed their money was being held safe and sound, 771 00:37:01,157 --> 00:37:02,625 those accounts were all empty. 772 00:37:02,659 --> 00:37:06,429 Ben McConley knew it, and Jason Van Eman knew it. 773 00:37:06,463 --> 00:37:09,332 Narrator: Next, the former leading man opts 774 00:37:09,366 --> 00:37:12,135 to take on the role of a lifetime -- 775 00:37:12,168 --> 00:37:15,105 key witness at his own fraud trial. 776 00:37:15,138 --> 00:37:17,040 Browne: He tried to convince the jury 777 00:37:17,073 --> 00:37:18,775 that he just wanted to make movies 778 00:37:18,808 --> 00:37:22,178 and that anything illegal or fraudulent that happened 779 00:37:22,212 --> 00:37:25,615 was the fault of Ben McConley and Ben Rafael. 780 00:37:25,649 --> 00:37:31,588 ** 781 00:37:34,647 --> 00:37:40,252 ** 782 00:37:40,285 --> 00:37:45,624 ** 783 00:37:45,658 --> 00:37:47,626 Narrator: In April 2022, 784 00:37:47,660 --> 00:37:50,396 during the fraud trial of Jason Van Eman, 785 00:37:50,429 --> 00:37:53,799 the U.S. Attorney's office calls their star witness, 786 00:37:53,832 --> 00:37:56,068 Benjamin Rafael. 787 00:37:56,101 --> 00:37:58,637 The former Wells Fargo bank employee 788 00:37:58,671 --> 00:38:01,173 who furthered the scheme by deceiving victims 789 00:38:01,206 --> 00:38:03,809 about the security of their funds. 790 00:38:03,842 --> 00:38:05,644 Rafael testifies that Van Eman 791 00:38:05,678 --> 00:38:09,548 not only knew about false bank documents, 792 00:38:09,581 --> 00:38:10,983 he helped to create them. 793 00:38:10,983 --> 00:38:13,052 Browne: In terms of who controlled 794 00:38:13,085 --> 00:38:15,654 what the victims heard, what the victims saw, 795 00:38:15,688 --> 00:38:18,557 who controlled the flow of communication 796 00:38:18,590 --> 00:38:19,558 with these movie people, 797 00:38:19,591 --> 00:38:22,361 the producers and the victims in this case, 798 00:38:22,394 --> 00:38:23,996 that was all Jason Van Eman. 799 00:38:23,996 --> 00:38:28,267 He was the face of this fraud scheme. 800 00:38:28,300 --> 00:38:32,104 Narrator: Van Eman's attorney says Rafael isn't credible 801 00:38:32,137 --> 00:38:34,106 and that he only blamed Jason Van Eman 802 00:38:34,139 --> 00:38:37,543 to work out a lesser sentence. 803 00:38:37,576 --> 00:38:40,913 Karadbil: Jason Van Eman absolutely did not know 804 00:38:41,013 --> 00:38:44,683 that Ben Rafael was a fraud. 805 00:38:44,717 --> 00:38:47,019 And that he was purposefully 806 00:38:47,052 --> 00:38:49,521 writing fraudulent correspondence. 807 00:38:49,555 --> 00:38:53,392 He looked at Ben Rafael like any other banker 808 00:38:53,425 --> 00:38:58,297 that he came in contact with through Ben McConley. 809 00:38:59,665 --> 00:39:01,533 Narrator: A few weeks into the trial, 810 00:39:01,567 --> 00:39:04,269 it's Van Eman's turn to take the stand. 811 00:39:04,303 --> 00:39:06,171 He denies any wrongdoing 812 00:39:06,205 --> 00:39:10,409 and claims he is totally innocent of all charges. 813 00:39:10,442 --> 00:39:13,345 Karadbil: He wanted to tell the jury his belief 814 00:39:13,379 --> 00:39:17,049 and -- and perception as to what was occurring. 815 00:39:17,082 --> 00:39:23,589 The fact that Ben McConley was consistently telling him 816 00:39:23,622 --> 00:39:27,626 all the same lies that he eventually had to pass on 817 00:39:27,660 --> 00:39:30,696 to the victim investors. 818 00:39:30,729 --> 00:39:33,499 Browne: The idea that Jason Van Eman, 819 00:39:33,532 --> 00:39:35,901 after being in business with Ben McConley 820 00:39:36,001 --> 00:39:37,636 for almost eight years, 821 00:39:37,670 --> 00:39:41,373 and being sued dozens of times by all these victim investors, 822 00:39:41,407 --> 00:39:46,045 the idea that he had no idea was a little bit of a stretch. 823 00:39:47,613 --> 00:39:51,583 Narrator: The jury does not believe Jason Van Eman. 824 00:39:51,617 --> 00:39:55,287 They find him guilty on all counts. 825 00:39:55,321 --> 00:39:59,325 Two months later, on July 21, 2022, 826 00:39:59,358 --> 00:40:04,330 he is sentenced to almost 22 years in federal prison. 827 00:40:04,363 --> 00:40:06,565 Browne: Jason Van Eman, at some point, 828 00:40:06,598 --> 00:40:08,767 instead of producing his own movies, 829 00:40:08,801 --> 00:40:11,737 writing his own scripts and making it that way, 830 00:40:11,770 --> 00:40:14,473 he decided to be a fake film financier, 831 00:40:14,506 --> 00:40:16,976 and I say he was fake because he didn't have money 832 00:40:17,009 --> 00:40:18,911 to produce other people's movies. 833 00:40:18,944 --> 00:40:21,480 He had to steal it. 834 00:40:21,513 --> 00:40:24,516 Narrator: Two of his victims, Paul Martino and Michael Pierce, 835 00:40:24,550 --> 00:40:26,952 are able to get some money back. 836 00:40:26,986 --> 00:40:28,387 Not from Van Eman, 837 00:40:28,420 --> 00:40:32,358 but from Wells Fargo Bank, suing for negligence. 838 00:40:32,391 --> 00:40:36,462 They dragged us along for eight months like they do just, 839 00:40:36,495 --> 00:40:39,298 trying to get us to give up, but we didn't. 840 00:40:39,331 --> 00:40:43,102 And to their credit, we settled. 841 00:40:43,135 --> 00:40:44,737 Narrator: Wells Fargo declined 842 00:40:44,770 --> 00:40:47,239 "American Greed's" request for comment. 843 00:40:47,272 --> 00:40:49,575 The settlement terms are confidential, 844 00:40:49,608 --> 00:40:52,611 but Martino and Pierce are both satisfied 845 00:40:52,645 --> 00:40:55,814 that they recouped much of their loss, 846 00:40:55,848 --> 00:40:57,149 and this has allowed them 847 00:40:57,182 --> 00:40:59,785 to dust off the "Inside Game" screenplay 848 00:40:59,818 --> 00:41:03,489 and start figuring out how to get it made. 849 00:41:03,522 --> 00:41:05,824 We had been through so much with this movie 850 00:41:05,858 --> 00:41:08,060 that we actually felt we just had an obligation 851 00:41:08,093 --> 00:41:10,829 to each other to make this movie. 852 00:41:10,863 --> 00:41:13,065 Narrator: Michael Pierce gets his friend, 853 00:41:13,098 --> 00:41:15,067 Randall Batinkoff, to direct, 854 00:41:15,100 --> 00:41:18,837 and the director brings in Scott Wolf to play the lead. 855 00:41:18,871 --> 00:41:20,139 Wolf: I loved the script. 856 00:41:20,172 --> 00:41:22,441 I loved the idea of this character. 857 00:41:22,474 --> 00:41:25,044 I was really excited to tell the story with them. 858 00:41:25,044 --> 00:41:26,779 Let's be clear about who...everything up. 859 00:41:26,812 --> 00:41:28,213 Only one of us is a drug addict. 860 00:41:28,247 --> 00:41:30,049 Narrator: In the summer of 2018, 861 00:41:30,049 --> 00:41:34,386 production of "Inside Game" is finally underway. 862 00:41:34,420 --> 00:41:37,423 Martino and Pierce serve as producers, 863 00:41:37,456 --> 00:41:41,727 but they also appear in cameos in the film. 864 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:45,097 I had the pleasure of playing one of my other cousins, 865 00:41:45,130 --> 00:41:46,465 Tommy's brother. 866 00:41:46,498 --> 00:41:48,167 Hey, Tommy. How ya doin'? 867 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:50,703 What you up to? About 4'2"? 868 00:41:50,736 --> 00:41:53,405 Wolf: All he had to really do was walk up and insult me 869 00:41:53,439 --> 00:41:54,673 and so, he did great. 870 00:41:54,707 --> 00:41:56,475 He did great. 871 00:41:56,508 --> 00:41:58,577 Narrator: Michael Pierce has no problem 872 00:41:58,610 --> 00:42:01,547 bringing pent-up frustration from real life 873 00:42:01,580 --> 00:42:04,583 to his fictional character in the opening scene of the movie. 874 00:42:04,616 --> 00:42:06,185 This ain't what it looks like. 875 00:42:06,218 --> 00:42:07,886 Hey...that's my ...girlfriend.. 876 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:10,089 Not if you're playin' Blackjack all night! 877 00:42:10,122 --> 00:42:13,892 Pierce: I was playing an angry, disgruntled boyfriend. 878 00:42:13,926 --> 00:42:16,562 It was like, "Okay, I just have to channel a little anger 879 00:42:16,595 --> 00:42:19,331 from all the process into this role." 880 00:42:20,566 --> 00:42:22,401 So, I barged in and, like, confronted him 881 00:42:22,434 --> 00:42:25,838 and then Scott Wolf actually beats me up and leaves. 882 00:42:25,871 --> 00:42:28,607 It was a funny role. 883 00:42:28,641 --> 00:42:31,410 Narrator: Eight years after starting the process, 884 00:42:31,443 --> 00:42:34,480 "Inside Game" -- the movie that Jason Van Eman 885 00:42:34,513 --> 00:42:36,915 and Ben McConley almost killed -- 886 00:42:36,949 --> 00:42:39,318 premieres in New York City. 887 00:42:39,351 --> 00:42:42,921 Martino: That was really one of the true highlights of my life. 888 00:42:42,955 --> 00:42:44,490 We actually got here. 889 00:42:44,523 --> 00:42:47,493 We got a film made. I'm proud of the movie. 890 00:42:47,526 --> 00:42:49,094 Everybody wanted them to win, you know, 891 00:42:49,128 --> 00:42:52,531 because they knew everything that they had to go through 892 00:42:52,564 --> 00:42:55,701 just to get to the point where we can make this film. 893 00:42:55,734 --> 00:42:58,904 -- Captions by VITAC -- 894 00:42:58,937 --> 00:43:07,246 ** 895 00:43:07,279 --> 00:43:15,754 **